Bummer - $230 Planer Repair Estimate

[Roy Bennett]

:mad:Dad Gummit - I only paid $200 for a used DW733 planer. Got good service for over a year, but then the elevation mechanizim stuck, so I took it to the DeWalt store for repair.

After five days, I got the bad news. Dewalt Service Center 147's Guaranteed Price for Repair - $235.07 (Plus Tax, Supplies and Transportation).

Delimma - Do I pay $235 and have a functional $200 planer or do I grind my teeth and add $200 more and buy a DW735???????????

[Ron Blaise]

:mad:Dad Gummit - I only paid $200 for a used DW733 planer. Got good service for over a year, but then the elevation mechanizim stuck, so I took it to the DeWalt store for repair.

After five days, I got the bad news. Dewalt Service Center 147's Guaranteed Price for Repair - $235.07 (Plus Tax, Supplies and Transportation).

Delimma - Do I pay $235 and have a functional $200 planer or do I grind my teeth and add $200 more and buy a DW735???????????

Or use it for a sea anchor. It ain't worth fixing for that much unless you try to do it yourself. Which shouldn't be too difficult. If you need a parts list I can copy mine & send it to you.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Ya could see it as a boon and go get a floor model.

[Mike Cutler]

Ya could see it as a boon and go get a floor model.

My thoughts exactly;) ;)

One thought though. Did you buy it on a credit card? Mine double the length of the warranty period, maybe yours does too. Of course I've never tried to use that feature. I'm sure there are hoops to jump through.

[Jim Becker]

Doh! I hate when that happens. Frankly, I doubt I'd pay that much to fix it. If you feel up to the work and the parts are within a reasonable cost, it may be worth dealing with it, but othewise, I'd move up to a new unit; whether another "portable" or a stationary version.

[Art Mann]

I don't think I would reward Dewalt by buying a new one of the same brand. There are several other good brands in that price range.

[David Wambolt]

I'd look at the Makita in that price range. I have one and it works great. I wouldn't spend the money to fix that planer. Now if you could figure out the problem and then buy the parts from their online website, it might be worth fixing if 'labor costs' are not involved. Dewalt/Delta/PC have an on-line parts and information site at http://www.dewaltservicenet.com/ServiceNet/logon.asp . Create an account, punch in your model number and you'll get an exploded view of parts. Maybe you can fix it for not too much cash. If not, perhaps sell it for parts.

I spent about 30 minutes the other night piecing together a better drill stop assembly for my new 17-950L Delta drill press. $43 later I have all the parts to convert to a better stop from their X5 line of drill presses. I just did a quick browsing of parts for the DW733 and many of the smaller parts are not that expensive. The case, table and base stood out as higher priced items. Good luck.

[Michael Keating]

elevation mechanizim

What height is it currently set to? Is it at least something useful?

[Alan Schaffter]

Sell it on Ebay "AS IS." Clearly say it has a bad height mechanism with details you "KNOW, NOT SUSPECT" to be true. You'd be surprised how much people will pay for a "fixer upper."

[Matt Meiser]

I have the same planer and had the same symptom. I took it apart and cleaned up the vertical bars which had rusted and then treated them with teflon spray. After putting it back together and getting everything adjusted, it is good as new. Only took one evening too.

[Ian Abraham]

Yup.. I'd get it back and take it apart, work out exactly is what is wrong and I bet you find it's something pretty simple.
Worst case, it's horribly bent inside and you cant get it back together so you throw it in the bin and go buy a 735. Best case, you spend a Sat afternoon dismantling, cleaning and re-assembling it, and it works fine.

The up / down mechanism on those things isn't horribly complicated, a couple of threaded rods and a chain drive connecting them underneath the table. Sure if you are paying a serviceman by the hour it might be an expensive fix, but for a tinkerer in the shed it's probably a good project.

Cheers

Ian

[Scott Vigder]

Delimma - Do I pay $235 and have a functional $200 planer or do I grind my teeth and add $200 more and buy a DW735???????????
If your car cost $5000, would you pay $5000 to fix it or get a new one?

If you fix the planer OR get a new one, at the end of the day you still have a $200 planer that may not be up to the tasks you want it to do.

I use the DW735. It's nearly two years old and has planed thousands of board feet of oak, cherry and ash with barely a hiccup.

[Bill Brady]

You can buy parts for most any hand tools at toolpartsdirect.com. Their pricing is competitive and there are parts lists and breakdowns for all the tools.

[Ted Miller]

If repairs cost me more than 35% of the new cost, I scrap the item. Plus I have been leary of some repairs, after its fixed I often worry it will happen again at any time...

[Jeff J Borges]

Was gonna say, you might even ask for help from a fellow creeker if you aren't up to the mechanicals of it yourself....Just a thought